B1 Polish for doctors and dentists under the simplified procedure
A doctor or dentist under the simplified procedure receives the right to practise from the regional medical council (okręgowa rada lekarska) – the document ‘Prawo wykonywania zawodu lekarza’ or ‘lekarza dentysty’ – after submitting a document confirming knowledge of Polish at level B1 or higher (Article 7(23) of the Act on the Professions of Doctor and Dentist). The document must come from the list published by the Minister of Health in the Public Information Bulletin (BIP). We were unable to confirm the transitional deadline in the text of the act, so check the current deadline with your regional medical chamber (okręgowa izba lekarska). You can start studying straight away – we will fit online lessons around your duty schedule.
What the provision says
Article 7(23) of the Act on the Professions of Doctor and Dentist links the granting of the right to practise under the simplified procedure to a language document at level B1 or higher. We have collected the other language requirements in our guide to Polish in residence and citizenship matters.
| Element | What we know |
|---|---|
| Who it applies to | doctors and dentists under the simplified procedure |
| Level | at least B1 |
| Document | included in the list published by the Minister of Health in the BIP |
| Who grants the right to practise | the regional medical council |
| Deadline for submitting the document | ask your regional medical chamber |
Why we do not give a deadline: a transitional date has appeared in the media, but we were unable to confirm it in the text of the act. The act has also been amended since the consolidated text was published (Dz.U. 2026 item 203 and item 791). Before you plan your exam, ask your regional medical chamber by when you must submit the document, and check the current list in the Minister of Health’s BIP.
Nurses and midwives
On this page we describe only the provision concerning doctors and dentists, which we have checked in the text of the act. We do not describe the language requirements for nurses and midwives here – ask the relevant professional self-governing body of nurses and midwives about the current rules. Whatever the profession, language preparation looks similar: a general B1 level plus vocabulary for working with patients.
General B1 and the language of the consulting room
The requirement concerns the general B1 level, not specialist medical language. In practice, a doctor needs both: B1 for the document, and fluent everyday conversation with patients. Many B1 structures are directly useful in the consulting room: questions about time, describing symptoms, the polite form and instructions.
Co panu dolega? / Co panią boli? – polite form: ‘dolegać’ + dative (panu), ‘boleć’ + accusative (panią).
Od kiedy ma pan gorączkę? – asking when the symptoms started (‘od kiedy’).
Czy przyjmuje pani na stałe jakieś leki? – asking about medication.
Czy jest pan na coś uczulony? – uczulony na + accusative.
Proszę się położyć i głęboko oddychać. – an instruction in the form ‘proszę + infinitive’.
Wypiszę receptę i skierowanie na badanie krwi. – future tense of a perfective verb.
A sample dialogue in the consulting room
A short conversation with a patient combines several B1 skills: asking questions, understanding an informal description of symptoms and giving clear instructions. Practise it aloud:
– Dzień dobry. Co panią do mnie sprowadza?
– Od trzech dni mam kaszel i boli mnie gardło. Wczoraj wieczorem miałam trzydzieści osiem stopni.
– Czy kaszel jest suchy, czy mokry?
– Raczej suchy, najgorzej jest w nocy.
– Rozumiem. Zbadam panią. Proszę rozpiąć bluzkę i oddychać przez usta.
– Dobrze.
– Przepiszę pani syrop i zalecam kilka dni odpoczynku. Jeśli gorączka nie spadnie, proszę przyjść ponownie.
The dialogue contains structures worth mastering: od trzech dni (genitive), boli mnie gardło (the person in the accusative), czy…, czy… (alternative question), zbadam, przepiszę (future tense of the perfective aspect) and jeśli…, proszę… (conditional sentence with an instruction).
The most common difficulties for doctors learning Polish
| Mistake | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Co ty boli? | Co pana boli? / Co panią boli? | we address patients as ‘pan/pani’; ‘boli’ takes the accusative |
| Proszę leżeć się. | Proszę się położyć. | ‘położyć się’ is an action, ‘leżeć’ a state; ‘się’ usually goes before the infinitive |
| Pan ma alergia? | Czy ma pan alergię? | ‘mieć’ + accusative; the question starts with ‘czy’ |
| Boli mnie głowa od trzy dni. | Od trzech dni boli mnie głowa. | ‘od’ + the numeral in the genitive |
Doctors usually master specialist vocabulary quickly – many terms have Latin roots. Polite forms, verb aspect and understanding informal descriptions of symptoms (‘kłuje mnie w boku’, ‘mam zawroty głowy’) cause more trouble.
How to fit learning around your shifts
For doctors, the biggest obstacle is rarely the language itself – more often it is the lack of regular time to study. A few principles that work with shift work:
- Short but regular – two or three lessons a week achieve more than one long session every two weeks.
- Writing outside lessons – a short email or case description written after a shift and corrected by the teacher teaches you more than yet another grammar exercise.
- Listening on the go – Polish radio programmes and health podcasts train listening comprehension, which is a separate module in the exam.
- Bring work language to the lesson – bring phrases you do not understand in conversations with patients to class; they are the best learning material.
Where to start your preparation
- Check the list in the Minister of Health’s BIP and the deadline with your regional medical chamber.
- Assess your level – a trial lesson with a level assessment will show how far you are from B1.
- Study around your shifts – individual online lessons are easier to fit into your schedule than classes in a fixed group. In lessons we explain things in Polish, English, Russian or Spanish.
- Add professional vocabulary – we do not run a separate medical course, but our free care and medical vocabulary list and the guide Polish at the doctor’s will help you master the vocabulary of the consulting room. You will find a description of the state exam in the guide to the B1 exam.
The first step is a trial lesson – the teacher will assess your level and suggest a plan that fits between your shifts.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find the list of B1 documents for doctors?
In the Minister of Health’s Public Information Bulletin (BIP) – the act refers to a list that the minister publishes in the BIP.
By when must a doctor under the simplified procedure submit the B1 document?
Check the deadline with the regional medical chamber that grants the right to practise – we were unable to confirm it in the text of the act.
Does the B1 requirement also apply to dentists?
Yes. The provision covers the right to practise both as a doctor and as a dentist.
Do you run a medical Polish course?
No. We prepare students for the general B1 level in a group or individually, and we provide medical vocabulary in a free vocabulary list.
Sources
- Act on the Professions of Doctor and Dentist (Ustawa o zawodach lekarza i lekarza dentysty), consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 37 – Article 7(23)
- Act of 23 January 2026 on phasing out the arrangements resulting from the Act on assistance to citizens of Ukraine…, Dz.U. 2026 item 203 – amendment after the consolidated text
- Act of 15 May 2026 amending certain acts in connection with the development of e-health services, Dz.U. 2026 item 791 – amendment after the consolidated text
Online B1 course with mock exams and feedback on writing and speaking. Start with a trial lesson and a level diagnosis.
See also
- Care vocabularyAbout 70 entries: understand the person you care for and the doctor's advice, and call for help in an emergency.Read →
- B1 examWho takes the B1 exam, what it looks like, what it costs, when the sessions are and how to prepare.1 490 PLNRead →
- Polish at the doctor’sReception, symptoms, the doctor’s instructions and prescriptions – a glossary and two dialogues.Read →